Martinius Stenshorne, Hitech Pulse-Eight's young Norwegian promise, is the protagonist of the first day of post-season F3 testing on the circuit of Jerez de la Frontera, recording the best overall time with an impressive 1:30.761 in the afternoon session.
His performance capped a day full of surprises and constant changes at the top, consolidating his position as one of the drivers to watch for the future.
Morning in progression: Boya leader on wet track
The test day F3 It started under difficult conditions. After the night rain, the Jerez track was damp, with the riders taking advantage of the first hours to do some adaptation laps. Among the fastest to warm up was Mary Boya with racing fields, who closed the morning session with the best time of 1:31.281.
At first, Noah Stromsted with Trident had set the first significant time, but as the track dried out, times dropped rapidly.
Martinius Stenshorne He immediately emerged as the protagonist in the first half of the morning, but was then overtaken by Ugo Ugochukwu with According to Racing and later by other pilots. Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak briefly led the field with a 1:43.287, but it was Boya who ended the morning session in the lead, with significant improvements in the closing minutes. Behind him were Jesse Carrasquedo and Christian Ho.
Hot Afternoon: Stenshorne Flies
With the company completely dry circuit, the times dropped further in the afternoon, when the riders took to the track equipped with tyres Pirelli a hard compound. From the first laps, the battle for the top was tight. Bilinski, Stromsted, and Theophile Nael they took turns in command, but it was Christian Ho with Jenzer Motorsport setting the first relevant time, with a 1:31.149.
As the session winds down, Laurens van Hoepen (ART Grand Prix) managed to get under 1:31, stopping the clock at 1:31.020, only to be overtaken by the British John Bennett by Van Amersfoort Racing, who recorded a 1:30.906, becoming the first driver to break the 1:31 barrier.
But it was Stenshorne who stole the show in the final minutes of the game.. With an impeccable drive, the Norwegian driver achieved the best time, placing himself in P1 with a 1: 30.761, the fastest time of the entire day. Mari Boya attempted a final assault on the summit, but had to settle for second place, with a time of 1:30.877, just +0,116 seconds behind the leader.
Stenshorne's words
“It’s been a fantastic day,” an enthusiastic Stenshorne told the microphones at the end of the day. “The conditions were difficult in the morning, but the team did a great job. I’m happy with our pace and the constant improvement. This test is a great way to close out the season and prepare for the next one.”